PRSI Founders

Rod Wilson, President & CEO

Rod Wilson has served as President & CEO of Pacific Research & Strategies since its founding in 1985.

As President and CEO of Pacific Research & Strategies, Inc., Rod Wilson brings more than two decades of hands-on experience in developing political and public relations strategies for clients worldwide. His vision and determination are the hallmarks of PRSI's tradition of excellence.

Rod is a recognized expert in governmental affairs, coalition building, and grassroots and media management who specializes in directing coordinated public relations campaigns that work hand-in-hand with legislative advocacy. He has honed his skills in a wide range of political, public relations, advertising and marketing, project management and business development disciplines, earning a solid reputation for conceiving effective communications strategies, designs and vehicles.

Under Rod’s stewardship, PRSI has earned a reputation as an innovative, dynamic and results-driven public relations firm offering a unique suite of services for a diverse clientele. Along the way, PRSI has earned more than 50 national and regional public relations awards since 2004.

Rod has traveled extensively throughout Asia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean Basin, delivering exceptional results to hundreds of clients. Here in the U.S., he has been instrumental in shaping the political landscape in California, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Washington D.C.

He has managed or co-managed hundreds of state and local political campaigns, from local mayoral candidates to statewide ballot initiatives. He played a particularly instrumental role in the passage of Propositions 5 & 1A in 1998 and 2000, respectively. These measures cleared the way for the legalization of gaming on federal Indian lands in California and opened the door to economic revitalization on reservations and surrounding communities throughout the state.

With PRSI, Rod also has produced more than 100 statewide and regional television campaigns earning seven prestigious national and regional public relations awards since 2006.

His experience in project management and logistics alone has taken him around the world, helping lead key U.S. trade and business delegations to Asia and Europe, and coordinating similar delegations from Asian nations throughout the U.S.

A career highlight was Rod’s role as Project Manager for the Simon Wiesenthal Center exhibit, The Courage to Remember. Since its opening, The Courage to Remember has been seen by more than two million visitors in over 20 countries on six continents. It also was the first exhibit on the Holocaust produced by a Jewish institution to be officially shown in the Soviet Union and in China.

His project management expertise also included the successful coordination of cultural and business exhibitions and conferences throughout the U.S. Southwest, Boston, New York and Washington, DC.

Rod’s diverse business acumen further includes a successful 20-year career in property management, handling commercial and residential properties in California and Arizona. He is adept at the real estate permitting and approval processes, and has personally supervised dozens of real estate projects.

A recognized local and regional business leader, Rod currently serves as President of the East Anaheim Street Business Alliance, a multi-faceted economic, business, and community development organization representing more than 600 businesses in Long Beach.

Rod also is the President of the Foundation for California, a non-profit organization focusing on affairs in the State of California. Additionally, he serves as the President of the California Safe Boating Foundation, a non-profit organization which focuses on providing safe boating education and techniques to boaters in California. He also serves as Secretary to the John Brown Cook Association for Freedom, a non-profit foundation that provides internship opportunities in business and politics across the country.

Over the years, Rod has been involved with and sat on the board of numerous charities and non-profits, helping to establish endowments and fundraising mechanisms.

Rod is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and an Earhardt Fellow. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Politics at Claremont Graduate School where he currently is finishing his PhD.

During his free time, Rod enjoys taking to the skies and the seas. While he is a fully licensed pilot, it is the world’s oceans that are Rod’s true calling.

He is a certified SCUBA instructor, a member of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, an IDC Staff Instructor and Specialty Instructor, and an AAUS Scientific Diver. His underwater expertise led to his appointment as President of the Institute for Underwater Crime Scene Investigation, an organization establishing a national standard for underwater crime scene investigation. He also is a popular presentation diver at the renowned Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Rod is an avid boater, holding a Master’s License, a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer, and serves as President of the California Safe Boating Foundation. He also enjoys reading, travel, the outdoors, and anything that inspires competition.

Dr. Alfred Balitzer, Chairman of the Board

Alfred Balitzer has served as Chairman of Pacific Research & Strategies since its founding in 1985.

He is an internationally recognized advisor, political consultant, and scholar. For the past three decades, Dr. Balitzer has been actively involved in political campaigns throughout California and the nation. His campaign experience includes four presidential campaigns, U.S. Senate and gubernatorial campaigns, statewide initiative campaigns, and local elections.

In 1985, President Reagan appointed Dr. Balitzer to the Board of the National Graduate Fellowship Program, where he served as Vice Chair. In 1996, California Governor Pete Wilson appointed him to the Boating and Waterways Commission of California, where he was also Chair.

Among his other prestigious government appointments, Dr. Balitzer served on the U.S. Court of Claims Bicentennial Commission and was a Consultant to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior and a Consultant to the Administrator of the General Services Administration. In 1984, President Reagan appointed Dr. Balitzer Special Ambassador to Brunei.

Dr. Balitzer publishes and lectures across the world on the principles and practices of American politics, religion and politics in America, and U.S.-Asia relations. He often appears on radio and television, and is a frequent contributor to Asian newspapers and periodicals.

For the past two decades, he has been a Consultant to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, forging its programs in Washington, D.C. and Asia. Since the mid-1980s, he has served as President of the John Brown Cook Association, directing initiatives to provide fellowships for CGU student internships.

Dr. Balitzer is a member of the Board and Treasurer of the American Academy of Liberal Education. He has also served on the Boards of the Foundation for California, the Winston S. Churchill Association of America, the Japan America Symphony Association, the Korean American Museum, and the Private Sector Initiative Foundation.

Dr. Balitzer earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at California State University, Los Angeles and his Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago. He completed his Ph.D. in Government at Claremont Graduate University in 1971.

A loyal alumnus and long-time supporter of Claremont Graduate University, Dr. Balitzer is also a Senior Fellow at the university and serves on the Board of Visitors of the School of Politics and Economics. He recently retired from Claremont McKenna College, where he spent 34 years on the faculty.